Note: Son of Louis XIII and the Spanish queen consort Anne of Austria. He succeeded his father on May 14, 1643, at the age of four. Known for having ruled France during one of its most brilliant periods; he remains the symbol of absolute monarchy of the classical age.In a series of wars he extended France’s eastern borders at the expense of the Habsburgs. He was a great patron of the arts; he established a system to administer the arts through his court and controlled the teaching of artists through the academies: the 'Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture' (reformed 1664) and the 'Académie Royale d'Architecture' (founded in 1671).